As an inflammation-associated protein, TNFAIP6 directly responds to tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) signalling [55] and, in IDD, this process potentiates the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g. interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β)) via activation of the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) pathway. Here, IL6 is linked to intervertebral disk degenerative disorder.